Mother Exposes: 8-Year-Old Son Purchases AK-47 Online and Receives Delivery at Their Residence
According to Ms. Gemen, her son's dark web acquisitions began innocently with items like "free" pizza, but they took a disturbing turn as they grew increasingly horrifying.
In the Netherlands, a woman made a startling disclosure about her 8-year-old son, who secretly bought an AK-47 from the dark web and had it delivered right to their doorstep.
During a conversation with Euronews, Barbara Gemen, a human resources specialist from the Netherlands, opened up about her son’s early engagement in cybercrime. She shared that from a young age of eight, he would spend extensive hours on the computer, delving into hacking activities.
“He began making online orders without any payment,” Ms. Gemen explained. Initially, her son’s dark web transactions were seemingly harmless, involving small items like “free” pizza. However, as time passed, the nature of his purchases took a chilling turn and became increasingly disturbing.
The parent reported that her son employed cryptic code phrases like “Pitt is coming to our place” whenever she entered the room, using online games as a means to communicate with illicit individuals and conceal his activities. She also revealed that hackers exploited her son’s involvement to facilitate money laundering for others.
Nevertheless, the gravity of the situation only became apparent to her when the AK-47 arrived at her residence. Ms. Gemen recounted that it dawned on her that this issue was far more significant than she and her son alone. She mentioned that her son had invested around a month in deciphering the process of ordering the gun and arranging for its delivery to their home, utilizing a route from Poland to Bulgaria in an attempt to evade customs.
“He eagerly unboxed it, filled with immense excitement that he had successfully received a gun at our doorstep,” she recounted. “I was utterly astonished. It prompted me to make immediate changes in our household,” she further expressed, detailing her reaction to the situation.
In her conversation with the media, Ms. Gemen revealed that she handed over the gun to her local police, and her child did not face any legal consequences. However, she observed a shift in her son’s behavior, noting that he started staying awake at night, frequently sitting behind a computer, and displaying signs of stress. It was during this time that they discovered he was involved with an international group of hackers.
Ms. Gemen reached out to law enforcement seeking guidance, but claimed that her worries were brushed aside as mere “exaggeration.” It was this dismissive response that motivated her to take matters into her own hands. Determined to tackle the issue, she pursued cybersecurity training and is currently serving as a Cyber Special Volunteer with the Dutch Police.
According to Ms. Gemen, the prevalence of laptops and cell phones among kids has made hacking remarkably simple, requiring only a few clicks to execute. She emphasized the considerable challenge of preventing young individuals from engaging in hacking activities since they often lack awareness of what constitutes legal and illegal actions in this domain.
